Following the recent release of their amazing Boulder Dash® playable demo, programmers Andrew Davie and Thomas Jentzsch, in association with publishers AtariAge and First Star Software, Inc, are very excited to announce that the original game in the Boulder Dash® series, Boulder Dash® Volume 1, will be available for purchase, exclusively from the AtariAge Store, in time for Christmas 2011!

Andrew Davie and Thomas Jentzsch have been working on this Atari 2600 port of Boulder Dash® for almost a decade. Together these two Atari 2600 veterans have used their insight and sophisticated knowledge about the Atari console to bring to life a faithful rendering of the classic, action-puzzle game (first released on the Atari 8-bit computer platform in 1984) from First Star Software, Inc. Game-play, sounds, and graphics have been faithfully reproduced, culminating in a game for the Atari 2600 unlike any previously seen.

Here's a video of the game showing the title screen and two full levels being played:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Ge6G9sT9E

With the full cooperation of First Star Software, Inc., this title will finally be available on the 2600!

The game features exact implementations of all 16 caves and 4 intermissions of the original game, playable with 5 levels of difficulty, providing over 80 unique levels of challenging fun. The physics, sound, and graphics are as exact as possible on the Atari 2600, and the game-play and timing are exactly the same as in the original version of the game. In short, this is a not-to-be-missed masterpiece, available in a limited run of only 250 copies.

AtariAge and First Star Software, Inc. will be hosting a box and label design competition! Winners will receive a copy of the game signed by Andrew, Thomas, Albert, and Richard M. Spitalny (president of First Star Software, Inc.) . Keep watching AtariAge for announcements of the competition!

The game will be available only as a cartridge (with professionally printed box and manual) in time for Christmas 2011, with a purchase price of $75 USD. Pre-ordering will be available soon!